


The One Where Katara Befriends a Badgerfrog and His Firebender

by 530_and_some_fandoms



Series: The Adventures of Flabby the Badgerfrog [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang doesn't really want that, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s03e12 The Western Air Temple, Episode: s03e16 The Southern Raiders, Gen, How Do I Tag, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Katara wants revenge, Timeline What Timeline, Zuko accidentally adopts a frog, Zuko helps, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, bro i'm actually so tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28306560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/530_and_some_fandoms/pseuds/530_and_some_fandoms
Summary: "Katara did not like Zuko.She didn’t not-like a lot of things. She liked Toph, even though the girl was infuriating. She didn’t mind camping, even though sleeping on the ground caused more aches and pains than she ever expected. She liked traveling all over the world with Aang and the so-called “Gaang”, even though it seemed to be one danger after the next they had to get out of. She didn’t even mind that she was the one doing all the cooking!But she really didn’t like Zuko."
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Katara & Flabby the Badgerfrog, Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko & Flabby the Badgerfrog, Zuko & The Gaang
Series: The Adventures of Flabby the Badgerfrog [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073243
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	The One Where Katara Befriends a Badgerfrog and His Firebender

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was really overwhelmed by the support that The One Where Zuko Adopts a Badgerfrog got and this just sort of happened.  
> I had this as part of a multi-chapter work but then decided I didn't like that, so from now on each addition will be it's own one shot. I'm planning to have one for each member of the gaang, but we'll see how this pans out.

Katara did not like Zuko. 

She didn’t not-like a lot of things. She liked Toph, even though the girl was infuriating. She didn’t mind camping, even though sleeping on the ground caused more aches and pains than she ever expected. She liked traveling all over the world with Aang and the so-called “Gaang”, even though it seemed to be one danger after the next they had to get out of. She didn’t even mind that she was the one doing all the cooking! 

But she really didn’t like Zuko. 

He had hurt Aang in probably more ways than he understood.  _ He  _ hadn’t been up with Aang after nightmares.  _ He  _ hadn’t been there when Aang was close to death.  _ He  _ wasn’t there when Katara had to heal Aang for days at a time just so he would be alive. It was because of Zuko and his sister that Aang had almost  _ died.  _

And the worst part was that Katara could have sworn Zuko would have made the right decision in that moment. He had been hurt by the Fire Nation too! It was as plain as the scar on his face. It was the scar on his face. 

Had he even lost his mother? Had that just been another lie? Made up to manipulate her into trusting him so it would hurt more when he chose his Nation over the world? Chose the Firelord’s love over her trust. 

Katara scoffed. She should have guessed Zuko would have chosen his father over her (could the Fire Lord even love?). The only times they met before that stupid, stupid night were spent fighting instead of drinking tea and talking or whatever kids who weren’t constantly running from the Fire Nation did. 

Katara didn’t even know what normal friends  _ did.  _ Her childhood was snatched away from her by the Fire Nation. By Zuko’s family. 

And Katara could never forgive that. 

Katara could see the hope in Aang’s eyes when Zuko came to them the first time, claiming he had changed. Hope for someone Aang had been wanting to be friends with for so long. 

She couldn’t help but think the hope was misplaced. No one could change that much. Not Zuko, not anyone. 

When Zuko eventually made a misstep or revealed that he was actually still trying to capture Aang to bring him back to Ozai like a prized kill, Katata would be there and she would put a stop to it. Zuko would die then and there, leaving Katara to pick up the pieces. She might relish in the moment, happy to finally be rid of him. Happy that he would never be able to hurt anyone ever again. 

Katara did not like Zuko and she’d be damned before he let him do any harm. 

Another thing Katara did not like about Zuko: he kept a badgerfrog. 

She didn’t mind the badgerfrog. She actually thought he was kind of cute, even though Toph’s name for him was really awful. Flabby. Who thought of a name like that? He wasn’t actually that big, one of the smaller ones she had seen around here. 

Katara didn’t like the fact that Zuko having a badgerfrog made him seem like he actually had a heart. Like he actually cared about things that did not include his father or his honor. Katara almost included his uncle in the list, but at the way he had constantly yelled at the old man and had left him for dead in Ba Sing Se disqualified him from the list. 

The fact that Zuko kept Flabby around was terrible for Katara’s view of the boy (though Katara refused to think of him as a boy only a few months older than Sokka. She couldn't. He couldn’t possibly be human). Even though Zuko seemed to be constantly annoyed with the creature, he always had a soft look on his face whenever the badgerfrog hopped into his lap when he thought no one was watching. 

Katara was watching. She always was. She had to make sure that when he messed up, she would catch him. 

Zuko squirmed under her gaze whenever he caught her staring at him. He shouldn't be this awkward. It was just another lie. And every whispered “sorry” was just another lie, each piling on each other. If he ever uttered the word “sorry” again, Katara swore to herself she would knock him off the temple. 

She had half a mind to hate Flabby just for who his owner was, but that would be cruel. Though she couldn't really bring herself to care about the fact that Momo had murderous tendencies toward the badgerfrog. If Flabby ended up dying, it would undoubtedly hurt Zuko and that was kind of the whole point. Right?

~~~

Katara glanced over at Flabby, who was sitting on the other side of the fire. Zuko and Aang had left after breakfast, the former insisting on a little more firebending practice before morning turned to afternoon. Flabby, who usually followed the firebender wherever he went to the point of causing Zuko to trip, was stubbornly staying by Katara. 

Katara wondered if the badgerfrog had taken a liking to her though she had been little more than ignorant of him the past week he had been here. She offhandedly hoped it was more of the issue with Momo rather than Flabby liking her. She would be fine if the badgerfrog hated her. 

Katara kept an eye on him, sitting so he was just in the corner of her vision as she organized their dishes. She had to turn her back for a moment in order to put the bag in the corner until the dishes would be used for lunch. Apparently, Momo was intelligent enough to know that was the right time to strike. 

Katara heard a loud screech and a panicked croak. Momo had picked up Flabby from under the arms and was flying him haphazardly to the edge, beating his wings quickly to keep up with the weight. 

“Momo! Drop Flabby!” Katara screeched, dropping the dish bag as softly as she could while also chasing after the lemur. Momo ignored her, continuing to fly Flabby toward the edge of the temple. Flabby was croaking extremely loud and fast, as if calling for help. 

Thankfully, Momo was slow with the extra weight and couldn’t fly very high. It didn’t take much energy for Katara to catch him and pull the badgerfrog from his grip. 

“No Momo,” Katara scolded as soon as Flabby was safe in her arms. Katara could feel his heart beating a little too fast in his small chest, “We aren’t going to kill Flabby!” 

Momo had the decency to look sort of ashamed. Though, Katara reasonsed, if he couldn't understand “water”, he probably couldn’t understand her scolding either. No matter. He flew away anyway. 

Katara shook her head and looked down at the badgerfrog. He gave a small croak, as if in thanks. Katara gave a small smile, but quickly wiped it off her face. She couldn’t like Zuko’s  _ pet.  _

Speaking of the Prince (banished prince, whatever), Katara would have to return his frog to him and make him aware of the situation so nothing like this would happen again. She didn’t have to like Flabby, but she also didn’t want to let him die because of Zuko’s irresponsibility. 

So she walked to the courtyard the Gaang had claimed for bending practice. She could hear the  _ whoosh  _ of flames being thrown and shuddered. As much as she was aware of the fact that Aang needed to learn firebending, she couldn’t block out the stray memories of hostile fire, burns, and death. If she clutched Flabby a little tighter to her chest at the onslaught of memories, most of which held Zuko, no one had to know. 

Katara straightened her face before she turned into the courtyard. Zuko seemed to be demonstrating a kata as Aang followed along beside him, if a little sloppily. 

“Zuko, you’re being extremely irresponsible,” Katara said bluntly. Both boys halted to stare at her, “Momo almost killed Flabby again. Did you not notice he wasn’t following you? Maybe I should have let Momo get him,” she said, letting a little venom slip into her voice as she glared at Zuko. 

Zuko paled slightly at her glare and quickly took Flabby out of her arms. Aang looked highly offended by her statement. 

“Katara don’t say that! You can’t let Momo kill Flabby!” the airbender said. Katara, realizing her mistake, let her glare falter a little. She would have felt bad if Flabby had died anyway, so the statement wasn’t really true. 

Zuko nodded at her slightly, whispering a thank you as he set Flabby in one of the shady parts of the courtyard. 

Katara gave the firebender one last glare when Aang’s back was turned, then turned on her heel and swept out of the courtyard. 

~~~

Unfortunately, Flabby decided Katara wasn’t allowed to forget him. He liked everyone else well enough, but after Zuko and Toph, Katara was his favorite. 

Katara tried to find it annoying, but it was really easy to slip the badgerfrog a small bunch of rice or give his head a small pat. That had nothing to do with her liking the badgerfrog though. She  _ hated _ him. Definitely. And the fact she kept Momo away from Flabby didn’t mean she liked the badgerfrog either. 

She didn’t like Zuko and she didn’t like Flabby. That was that. Zuko obviously had some ulterior motive for being here. He was probably a spy for the Firelord or something and Flabby was part of his cover. As such, she didn’t trust either of them. 

And she wasn’t scared of them either. It made no difference to her that in her dreams Zuko sometimes replaced the man who killed her mother, or that he was the one that shot Aang with lightning instead of Azula. She wasn’t scared when she saw Zuko chasing them around the world while she slept, a suspiciously out of place badgerfrog perched on his shoulder. It didn’t matter that she saw Zuko betraying her over and over again behind her eyes. 

None of that mattered. She wasn’t scared. 

~~~

Against her will, Katara found herself trusting Zuko more when he and Aang came back from finding dragons safe and sound. And when he came back with  _ an airship,  _ her dad, Suki, and a firebender named Chit Sang. He did seem oddly skittish around Hakoda, but Katara couldn’t particularly bring herself to care. 

Katara even surprised herself as she instinctively reached out to catch Zuko as he fell from the sky after fighting Azula. She was also surprised when he agreed her thirst to avenge her mother was warranted later that day. 

It had to be a trick, but he knew more than her. The next evening, they were flying on Appa toward her mother’s killer, despite Sokka and Aang’s pleas. 

_ Maybe you shouldn’t have snapped at them,  _ A part of her brain whispered,  _ that was cruel.  _

She was too wired to listen to her head right now though. She knew she should probably sleep, but she wouldn't let Zuko take the reins. She didn’t trust him. He must be here for his own personal gain, in order to observe so that when he inevitably went back to the Firelord he would be able to testify that she killed a Fire Nation soldier.

She should wash him into the sea right now, but he knew more than her. If he got her caught or gave her the wrong information, that would be what she would do, but for now she had to keep him. She had to do this. 

~~~

Zuko didn't get in the way of her revenge. He didn’t give her the wrong information. He didn’t try to reason with her.

Zuko had helped Katara. And acted angry about what Yon Rha had done. 

Katara, out of observation, knew that Zuko was not a good enough liar to fake anger. Maybe if she had recognized that sooner, she would have gotten to the point of forgiveness faster. 

Katara mulled over her thoughts, looking over the ocean to the sunset on the horizon. Two pairs of footsteps at the end of the dock creaked toward her, along with flopping that sounded suspiciously like Flabby. 

“Katara? Are you okay?” Aang said, running down the dock. 

“I'm doing fine,” Katara answered shortly, not bothering to look back.

“Zuko told me what you did. Or what you didn't do, I guess,” Aang correctly, sounding slightly sheepish, “I'm proud of you,”

Flabby hopped in her lap and Katara picked him up, hugging him close. 

“I wanted to do it,” Katara whispered. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall, “I wanted to take out all my anger at him, but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or because I'm strong enough not to,”

“You did the right thing. Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing,” Aang said. 

Katara stood up, still holding Flabby, who decided to give a content croak as she rose. He was sort of like a living, slimy stuffed animal. He wasn’t all that nice to hold, but he was there anyway. Katara needed comfort after the past two days anyway. 

“But I didn't forgive him. I'll never forgive him,” Katara said with a small frown before looking at Zuko with a small smile, “But I am ready to forgive you,”

She passed Flabby to Aang and walked up to Zuko, seemingly surprising him when she pulled him into a quick hug. She pulled back and walked down the dock, leaving Zuko and Aang in conversation. 

Forgiveness was hard earned, and Katara could certainly hold a grudge, but she felt lighter as she walked toward the house in the fading sun. Aang was right. Maybe this was what she needed all along. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Let it be known that no Katara hate will be tolerated. She's literally traumatized and 14, let her act like it. She has a right to hold a grudge, even if it might be slightly misplaced.  
> This was kind of hard to write, but I hope I got her perspective right.  
> Thanks for reading and happy holidays!


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